Quote of The Day

Friday, December 06, 2013

Paint Party Friday Reinvent your Holiday!

Cupcake has been bumping into many young adults who are crabby, disillusioned
and stressed out about the holiday season. Feeling torn between step
families, parents, and in-laws....they feel stretched to the max trying
to fit everything in along with working full time. Having to deal with the wrath of relatives is so frustrating.

So she suggested they recreate their holiday to make it less stressful. To have a dinner on their own terms, invite people they enjoy. Except that some people won't be able to attend but that's okay. Meet with confrontational ones over lunch or meal at a restaurant so you can leave at will. Set boundaries, decline invites politely explaining your full schedule!

Cupcake told them of the Christmas day we spent at the theatre watching
movies, eating tacos for dinner there! It is still such a cherished
special memory! Especially because no one knew, we kept it secret knowing there were many invites to join others that year. Sometimes you have to do things differently just to get over the painful humps.

Life changes, people change, situations change, as special as the holidays are it can be celebrated any way you desire! Breaking tradition is okay and may even become desirable. With all the pain people are carrying of late it will be a nice diversion to change things up. It's a couple of days, time you can celebrate any way you see fit. Attending a Christmas eve church service singing carols and lighting candles has always been special for me even though it doesn't happen every year.

There were Christmases I couldn't give my daughter what others got, it was very painful to subject my child to those situations where she watched others rip open without appreciation tons of gifts. Even though in past years, before divorce she got way more than others. And yet I believe it made her a better woman, more compassionate, empathetic and generous!

The season we had a taco Christmas started out a bit depressing until we delivered food and toys for a single mom in need. We wore Christmas hats and chimed in with all kinds of goodies! The children were so excited it truly put spirit into our Christmas. Everything turned around after that!

So when tough times abound think of a way to reinvent your season...make it special. Volunteer, cut yourself some slack, nurture your heart and be kind to yourself....make new traditions.

Have you ever done anything unorthodox to celebrate the season during rough times?

30 comments:

I absolutely love your Christmas painting. It is one of my favorite pieces that you have created.

My husband and I had only been married a short time when he was sent overseas with the Air Force. I was teaching Headstart at the time. On Christmas morning I was on my way to church when I saw one of my students outside playing. I stopped and asked what he had gotten for Christmas. He said Santa had not arrived yet. I knew what that meant. I asked his mom if on my way home from church I could stop and take him with me for the day. This was many many years ago when everything was closed on Christmas. I was having dinner with another Air Force couple who also knew this child. I called and asked if they had anything we could give him. They had one bottle of bubbles and that was it. (Remember we were all very young and very poor) While we were eating dinner the husband slipped outside, Yelled HO HO HO and said he had something for Junior. He then ran and hid. When Junior opened the door it was as though there were hundreds of gifts sitting there for him. He was beside himself with excitement. We all had tears in our eyes watching him wishing we could do more. I do know we gave him the best Prekindergarten experience we could. That Christmas stands out to me for so many different reasons.

Just love your picture this week, would make a great card. Making our own traditions surely helps with the tough times. For me, whewn my sister went to live in Aussie 4 years ago it meant that I had no family to spend Xmas day with. After one year of having it with friends which made me miss my family more, I decided to make my own special day trad. I cook a big trad dinner, then take platefuls around to some elderly shut ins who live alone and no family and who have to rely on a frozen meal from meals on wheels. Then I ay my table out in finest china and decorations and lay a place for me and one for Jesus, and we have a happy meal together!I just realised how my elderly neighbours love it because one phoned me the other day and asked if I was going to do it this year. and if so she knew another elderly gentleman who had lost his wife of 63 years and would need some cheer on Christmas. Think I need to save up for a larger turkey this year!!!

Your painting is lovely, the houses are sweet and the snowman is very happy. The three ladies look a bit earnest, maybe they are worried about something. Your post was very thought-provoking and positive.

most of my Christmases have been rather conventional, I now, after reading your post, am rather yearning for a Christmas day spent watching movies and eating popcorn!! Yay for no cooking!!! Great post as always ( Loving the wee snowman ) :)

Another fabulous post as always and I love your painting. I celebrate with friends whom I consider to be family on Christmas eve usually, then I can have a really good time and not worry about the "family" stuff Christmas day. I'm a homebody so I would rather create a meal for friends than go out. That's what I do. xox

Your daughter is a wise soul + I strongly suspect that it has a great deal to do with your wisdom!

My favourite christmas was in a dingy hostel in budapest, we had no money, we bought each other ginger cookies as presents, we ate tomato pasta, slept in til noon, watched a wonderful life + and walk in the snowy park.

Sometimes christmas is just too much + having these memories means we don't have to do what the 'jones' are doing, but put our own spin on the day!

this makes me think of a book I just read called " An Invisible Thread"we could all do so much more for others in need and help ourselves at the same time because the rewards are a feeling of joy. This year we will go to see our eldest son and our only grand daughter for Christmas day. It is worth the effort and sacrifice to have this special time together.

Very wise words (again!) and a lovely Christmasillustration to go with it. I agree that if it doesn't feel right how you spend Christmas every year you should change it. In Belgium my whole family comes together around Christmas, we take turns in playing host, and everybody brings something to eat. And we all love it! It's one of the things I miss most since we live in Australia. I just really really love what Sharon writes, about cooking for the elderly. That is such a beautiful idea, and something I would surely like to do (if I was any good at cooking ....)

What a great post! So nice and thoughtful. Christmas time is hard with all of the expectations. I would love to have a quiet movie Christmas one year! Love your painting. Beautiful and colourful as always!

What a lovely family you are, and how many kind and generous commenting friends you have here. For many years we have arranged the kind of Christmas that suits us. When the children were young we had so little money, we would buy or make lots of silly little presents, wrap them up and spend all Christmas day opening them one by one in turn. The tradition has lasted through all those years, and we still space our little parcels out throughout the day.Lovely painting, and as others have said, that would make a very good card. XX

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"If one mother's child dies, the war is not worth it! Would you have it be your child?"" Thank God for Odd!""For me making art is all in the timing. Like a waltz, you have to wait for the perfect beat to join in!! Then it flows easily and all comes together!!!"

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